Thirty Ways To Say
by Dulcis Marionette
Summary: 30 Romances Challenge:: There is more than one way to say "I love you" to someone... - Neuro x Yako. - Possible Sai x Ai.
1. Cold Hands

Since I am a bored individual with nothing to do on a Sunday, and any other day during summer break, I have taken it upon myself to try out one of those 30/100/etc challenges that are always made and taken up by others...

Since I am a bored individual with nothing to do on a Sunday, and any other day during summer break, I have taken it upon myself to try out one of those 30/100/etc challenges that are always made and taken up by others.

I hope that you enjoy the many little one-shots in this 30 Romances series Majority will most likely be Neuro/Yako, but who knows, a Sai/Ai may wriggle its way into the words that I type.

**Note**: Chapters most likely will vary in writing style, POV, genre, and such. It could be humorous, romantic, or full of angst. It depends on my mood, and inspiration of the theme given to me from the list Status will be posted in my profile.

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Disclaimer: Unfortunately! I do not own MTNN and never will. Damn it!

01 -- Cold Hands

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The young high school detective shivered at the breeze that rushed past her, the frost forcing its way to her and making an attempt to freeze the girl solid. Her light brown eyes scanned the area, and she gave any accepting passerby more flyers for the agency she worked in. Cheeks tinted a rosy pink from the cold; the blonde offered a smile to each and a kind wave of farewell.

She, Katsuragi Yako, the famous female high school detective was on advertisement duty.

Oh, and how she was starting to hate every little second that went by, hoping that the odd, demonic splattered papers would disappear from her hold. Once each and every piece was gone, the cold female would be able to rush back into the office before quickly going for a way out back to her warm, cozy home that was filled with waiting, comforting food.

Why, just why did she have to do this on a freezing Winter day in December anyways!

Because the hell demon, Neuro, demanded it to be so. Yako pouted at the answer her brain smartly gave her, a sigh leaving her and becoming visible in the frosty air. "It's either this or death..." She muttered to herself, unheard by any other. How much longer would she have to stay out here? Godai was doing another information search for him, so she had no company to keep her busy...the only company Yako had were her thoughts. Thoughts that were currently set on the eccentric boss of hers that masqueraded around as her 'innocent assistant'.

Couldn't there be one day, just **one single day** where he could give her a nice, little break?

A time away from the horrors of being a fake detective?

One moment away from the unwanted attention from freaked fans and fellow classmates?

Why was it so hard to allow her **one** day where she wasn't smacked around by him?

Another soft sigh followed by cold air cued after her own frustrated questions. The cold was starting to get to her.

Yako looked down at the stack of papers in her hands and saw that it was starting to deplete from its original three-inch height. Thank the Gods! She almost thought she might have gotten frostbite from this experience! Especially since they weren't protected with anything...

"Why didn't I grab any gloves..." She sobbed to herself, voice a quiet whine. Oh, it was only because if she wasn't to the office in time, she would be subjected to torture at the hands of Neuro; and he came up with pretty painful torture methods. Yako had been at home, minding her own business and stuffing her face, when she noticed the clock that was timing down the minutes until doom would be set upon her. She just didn't have any time to grab gloves, only a jacket would be the most accessible and easy-to-grab item as she ran out the door.

Her stomach was growling, too! That made this even worse.

She was cold...

Alone...

And starving to death.

She would much rather at least be up in the office with Neuro, watching the news for possible mysteries...even if she probably couldn't pick up many that would catch his odd tastes. In a breeze-free office, with someone she...surprisingly, cared for. A small part inside of her warmed at the thought, showing a thoughtful expression.

The girl did care for Neuro. Really, she did. It was just that he was so...so...well, demonic. He hurt her and insulted her daily, of course, but it never was anything long-term. No injury was made that she couldn't get over, nothing that would kill her and he always seemed to save her when she was in trouble.

A small smile graced her lips when she recalled each time he kept her out of real harm's way.

But that small part of her that warmed wished that he could be more...normal. Was that the right word to pick for such a thought? Normal would never fit as the right adjective for Neuro, certainly not.

It would make her doubt the fact that she might possibly be a masochist more, though.

Why - she lightly noted that she was questioning with that for a while, but it fit - couldn't she have the normal, high school life?! Like those shoujo mangas she vaguely looked through in the bookstore next to the shop that sold those delicious okonomiyaki (1)...She would have to stop by there on the way home.

Quickly passing - or practically throwing - the papers at any person that happened to go by, she turned on her heel and made her way into the building to report back to Neuro. God, her hands...she rubbed them together to try and create heat in them.

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"Hello again, _wood louse..._" That greeting...right when she opens the door, shivering in her cold state, "I see that you've passed out all the flyers."

"Y-Yes...c-c-can I go home now?" Yako muttered, tugging her jacket around her tighter. Heat was slowly making its way to her, finally, but not quick enough.

"Of course not, dishrag, you have to come with me to solve mysteries. I heard an interesting one on the news while you were out advertising to get me more meals." The fanged grin and glowing, green eyes were locked on her. The heat may as well have left her all at once when he said that and she groaned in disappointment. Goodbye okonomiyaki and wondrous apartment! "Hmm? Did I just hear a sound of rejection at that?"

"Of course not!" She straightened up immediately, making her way to stuff her freezing hands into the pockets of her jacket...which were nonexistent. The damn thing didn't have pockets. Her day kept getting worse and worse--

And now Neuro was giving her a weird look...

Maybe he was planning to randomly slam in through the door or something so they could make their merry way to getting him some food, instead of having her stomach filled...

"Why do you keep fidgeting your hands, slave?" He questioned her and she looked down at her trembling fingers due to the cold. Maybe she really did get frostbite, she would believe it if one started to feel numb.

"Because they're cold..." Another mutter under her breath was her answer. The reply to that was...A pair of black gloves smacking her in the face. "Ah!" Blinking, she took them away from her face, staring down at them. Neuro's gloves? They were already warm to touch, and probably would heat up her hands if she wore them...Heat came back to her, spreading up to her cheeks as she took a little glance up towards her boss.

Perhaps he could be a little nice sometimes...her smile came back at that. Neuro being nice to her was...

"Hmhm, you may wear those while I sharpen my claws on your skull..."

...Well, of course he wouldn't be **too** nice.

"N...No thanks."

But it was the thought that counted, right?

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I think I could've done better...but oh well. I'm not sure when the next'll be posted, but...

One down. Twenty nine to go.

_Okonomiyaki_: A Japanese dish that basically means "cook what you like". Pan-fried batter cake, along with ingredients of any choice.


	2. Janitor, Freak

Finally! Another oneshot to add to my challenge. I've hit a bit of writer's block, but then I got a huge urge for Sai/Ai, and my fingers were itching to type this up.

I think that the whole ";" is actually a choice between whichever is on that line, but I decided to put them together in one as a replacement for number 2, from the extras part of the challenge list.

Enjoy.

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02 -- Janitor; Freak

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_"So then Yumiko kept blabbing about it _everywhere_! Nami was _so_ embarrassed!"_

_"Oh wow, I can't believe Yumiko would do that to her!"_

_"I know, right--...hey...are those..."_

_"Th-th...they're..."_

Screams were heard throughout the high school, due to the discovery of several red boxes, neatly placed just outside of the bathrooms in the hallway. The cleaning lady leaned against the smooth wall of the girls' restroom. The mop next to her leaned steady against the wall as well, kept dipped in the soapy bucket of red tinted water.

She listened to a soft humming to her right, a few quiet mutters interrupting the random tune here and there.

"It does not take long to change into a school uniform, X."

The song paused and he - or she, at the moment - turned to look at her, furrowing a brow. "Having all of these layers is uncomfortable." She grumbled childishly, shaking her head with hair following.

The other woman pushed the bucket and mop to a corner, fixing the rubber gloves she had on for sanitary reasons _and_ to keep her fingerprints off of the mop handle. How confusing would that be, fingerprints on a mop that matched with a person that was supposedly dead for quite a while now.

"Perhaps you should wear a male uniform, then. This disguise of mine is not very comfortable either."

**I**nvisible.

Ai. The name she had taken up when she decided to stay by X's side.

Picking up the suggested uniform from the pile to the side, she handed it to Sai who changed into his most common form - the young looking, silver haired boy. Ai held out her hand to take the feminine uniform from him as he removed them and redressed into the new outfit.

They didn't care for any purpose of modesty, there was no need. It was lost between them, since they were too used to each other and Ai had been several relations to the confusing killer in front of her.

Whether it be as mother, sister, aunt, friend, servant, mistress, or even _lover_, they were close.

"Thanks, Ai. How does this look?" He changed his form to that of one of the male students that he had murdered, ready to walk out of the school unnoticed before the boxes were sent to the police for investigation on exactly who was stuffed in the bloody shape.

Kaitou Sai was an odd one indeed. A boy with a childish curiosity that went beyond insane, murdering people to see their insides, to know who he actually was. Memories changing constantly due to his peculiar cell structures always changing with his transformations...

Most would call him a freak.

She saw him as an interesting companion.

And Ai wouldn't leave his side for the world, as she had promised to him, and herself.

"It fits perfectly." She tilted her head, brushing a few of her violet bangs away from her eyes, before stepping forward and fixing the collar of his jacket. "There. That's better."

Offering her the big, childish smile of his, he nodded and looked to the door. "People'll probably be gathering outside soon to see the red boxes...we should hurry."

Ai smiled softly and nodded as well in agreement, walking towards the door, "Aren't you supposed to steal something, X?" She reminded him, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Oh, right. Hmnn..." Putting a hand to his chin, he tilted his head to the side before snapping his fingers, "I know!" He reached his hands over to her, pulling her face towards his and kissing her full on the lips. "Hah, stealing a kiss. How 'bout that?"

"...Romantics do not fit you that much, X..." She held back a giggle, keeping up her calm, enigmatic state.

"Awww..."

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I know. Short, corny, but cute, right? I always liked Sai and Ai, especially after seeing the chapter dedicated to her. The whole deal with the frogs, and Sai forgetting that he told her to make him frogs everyday...It was a cute scene. Her dedication seems to run deep, but they are both killers - they still fit well together...

Now for replies to the few reviewers:

**Tashilover **- Is it? Thank you. And yes, I agree. I was going to end it a bit after he gave her the gloves, but it didn't feel right so I added him giving her another threat. I was a bit more satisfied with it after that.

**EclecticLady-LimitedEdition** - I'm glad that you like it Here's your update!

**Azamiko** - :D...I'm guessing that means that you like it? XD;

**Spazzu** - And here's a bit more of it, though with a different coupling. Hope you like this addition to the challenge as well. :D


	3. Anvil

A different style of writing this time; I guess I quite like it, though I'm not sure if the times would be accurate for a usual Japanese school, but that's not really the concept of the story, right

A different style of writing this time; I guess I quite like it, though I'm not sure if the times would be accurate for a usual Japanese school, but that's not really the concept of the story, right? Heh.

Well, enjoy; it's another short, Neuro x Yako one-shot.

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03 -- Anvil

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5:30 A.M. - Wake up and do daily routine; shower, dress, eat a _'healthy' _breakfast.

6:45 A.M. - Wait at the station to get to school.

7:28 A.M. - Arrive at school and search for Kanae to talk for a bit.

8:05 A.M. - Beg Kanae to share dango!

8:30 A.M. - Start school and endure classes for a while until lunchtime.

12:30 P.M. - Rush to cafeteria and load up on delicious food...Mmmmh...

1:35 P.M. - Return to class while mourning having to leave the lunchroom...

3:43 P.M. - Run to the office before Neuro can have an excuse to torture me more for being late.

3:55 P.M. - ...Distracted by yakitori cart...Spent a thousand yen or two trying to buy as many as I could.

4:06 P.M. - Burst through the office door after a mad dash up the stairs.

4:07 P.M. - Hold back a whimper and a groan at realizing that I was **6** minutes late. Darn you, yakitori! Why do you have to taste so good...

4:30 P.M. - ...Currently suspended by a rope over a metal tub of liquid poison on a flame effectively making said tub and poison even more scalding, burning, and deadly to the skin, kept down only by a anvil...which has a candle set upon one side that keeps the flame at a certain distance away from the rope, slowly burning through it...

4:35 P.M. - Screech at Neuro to stop using flammable spray on the candle!!

4:40 P.M. (23 seconds) - Screech for a different reason, seeing the anvil's rope breaking.

4:40 P.M. (24 seconds) - Let life flash before eyes as I fall to the tub of poison; NEURO, DO SOMETHING!! THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!

4:40 P.M. (25 seconds) - Thank the Gods! Pant in relief over life being saved from another near death torture method.

4:43 P.M. - "Consider yourself lucky that you are _my_ dishrag." he says...geez...If I didn't know better, I would have thought that he actually _cared_ sometimes. Not after **that** whole thing! Seriously, who in their right mind--

--

4:44 P.M. - Break away from the lowly slave of mine. She was definitely shocked now, standing there with absolutely no response.

4:45 P.M. - Leave the dishrag to stew in her own confusion and surprise. Perhaps set up the next elaborate plan to torture her.

--

5:00 P.M. - ... ... ... ... **'What...' **Fall back and sit on anvil to regain composure...

5:01 P.M. - I FORGOT THE CANDLE WAS STILL ON IT!

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5:02 P.M. - Observe slave with even more amusement. If I am to see such a reaction as such every time I tried one of those human methods of...affection on my slave, I should do it more often...

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**Spazzu - **Really? They're mine too! Even though, that's probably a bit obvious seeing as how I wrote a story for the two of them, right? Haha!

**Azamiko** - Yeah...I'm hoping to write a one-shot centered on that very thing, too. Though I want to include it into this challenge; going to have to wait for a theme that fits.

**dreams.of.destiny** - :3 I'm so happy that you think so. This update is a Neuro x Yako, though there will be more Sai x Ai coming up, I promise! I love those two criminals too much to not include them more. Thank you so much :D


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